Sunderland defender Turner closes in on Norwich move

SUNDERLAND defender Michael Turner is understood to be undergoing a medical at Norwich City.

Reports earlier today had linked the Canaries with Turner and swift progress has been made on the 28-year-old’s switch to Carrow Road after the two clubs agreed a deal.

ON HIS WAY: Michael Turner

Turner is thought to have travelled to East Anglia ahead of the proposed switch which will end his three-year stint at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland have been eager to offload one of Turner, Titus Bramble and Matt Kilgallon this summer, with each member of the central defensive trio in the final 12 months of their Black Cats contracts.

The arrival of Carlos Cuellar has boosted Martin O’Neill’s options at centre-half, which also include John O’Shea, Wes Brown and youngsters Louis Laing and John Egan.

Although Brown suffered a knee injury in Sunderland’s pre-season tour of South Korea, O’Neill has still sanctioned Turner’s exit despite the former Hull City man starting the final 20 games of last season – his longest successive run of first-team football since arriving at the Stadium of Light.

Former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce splashed out £4million to bring Turner to Wearside in the summer of 2009 and despite a string of injury problems, he has made 77 appearances for the Black Cats.